My Most Cherished Childhood Friend
by ShadowIdol
Summary: Sonoda Umi has always been charismatic enough to garner the attentions of her schoolmates, even to the point of receiving love letters from them. One day, one such letter leads to Umi realizing her feelings for her childhood friend.


**So yeah, as promised, here's that HonoUmi fic I said I was gonna put out. This one was inspired by two different chapters of School Idol Diary. It probably didn't help that just before that I was reading the manga, which might I add, gives off HonoUmi vibes in waves. Seriously, in the anime, everything can be seen as just platonic, but when you read the manga, there's nothing platonic about their relationship.**

"Normal" = **Talking**

"Italics" = **Thinking / Letter**

 **"Bold"** = **Emphasis on word**

 **Bold Italics** = **Setting**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Love Live, nor do I own anything related to it. All I do own is one of many thousands of downloads of School Idol Festival. As such, I am not profiting off of Love Live, and am instead losing money over it due to the nature of gacha.**

* * *

 **Tokyo, Japan - Otonokizaka High**

A letter.

That was the object being given to Umi at that exact moment. A first year girl Umi didn't recognize had asked to talk to her alone, and now, here they were, with the girl handing Umi the letter. Umi knew what it was of course, having already received so many of them from various girls in the school.

"Please accept my feelings senpai!"

With those words, the girl ran off, leaving Umi alone with the letter. Taking a look around, Umi was satisfied to find no one around. Taking this moment of solitude as an opportunity, Umi opened the letter in order to read it. Umi never replied to any of the love letters she received, due to an...incident that resulted from a series of misunderstandings, but she still read them. It was already disrespectful enough not responding to them, and so she thought that she should at the very least read through them so not as to completely disregard them.

 _"Umi-senpai, I like you. I've always admired you from afar. Your just so...perfect. With your archery skills, your kendo skills, and your dancing skills, it's like you're invincible! You're even a popular school idol! I know that your beauty and grace means you probably get this kind of letter often, but I just wanted you to know of my feelings._

 _Of course I know that you probably don't even know my name, and that mine is probably just one more in a large pile of love letters. On top of this, there are your obvious feelings for Honoka-senpai. But even so, I must ask you to give me a chance! I will be waiting for you on the school rooftop tomorrow after school. If you do not appear, then I will know that I don't have a chance with you and I will simply return to admiring you from afar._

 _Sincerely, an admirer."_

Having her apparently obvious feelings for Honoka brought up reminded Umi of a previous incident of a similar nature. One in which Eli had happened upon, leading to a conversation which included Eli teasing her about her, again, apparently obvious feelings for Honoka. Naturally, thinking of something as embarrassing as so many people seeing something romantic between her interactions with her best friend would cause someone as upright and strict as Umi to turn completely red.

"W-w-what!? W-w-what does she mean by this!? I-I don't feel that way about Honoka at all! I-I mean, for one thing, she's a slacker, and she never listens to me! And she's always forcing me to do things I don't want to do too!"

Startling herself with her outburst, Umi looked around to make sure no one heard it. Regaining her composure, Umi walked away from the scene, not noticing a certain blue-eyed ginger had been paying attention the entire time.

 **A few days later...**

As per usual, Umi was at the Homura to walk with Honoka to school. However...

"I see. So Honoka already left. Sorry to bother you then."

Bowing to Honoka's mother, Umi went on her way to school alone.

"That's strange. Honoka's been acting weird lately. It's almost like she's...avoiding me. And it seems like...she's been around Kotori more too."

A pang of...something shot through Umi at the thought of her two best friends being so close to one another, although she couldn't identify why. Shaking her head to get rid of the thoughts, Umi resumed her walk.

"No, it's only natural that Honoka and Kotori are so close...but still, why does it make me feel like this?"

Arriving at the school's gates, Umi decided she would look around for Honoka before classes started in an attempt to fix...whatever was going on between them.

Searching around the school, Umi eventually managed to find Honoka in the school courtyard. Grinning at this, Umi started walking up to her childhood friend.

"Hono-"

"Senpai!"

Stopping herself, Umi realized that Honoka wasn't alone. There was a girl bowing in front of her, pushing her hands out towards Honoka as if giving her something. The girl was wearing a blue ribbon, indicating she was a first year, and realized what the object in her hands was. It was a letter. That same unkown pang of something shot through Umi.

"E-eh!?" As Honoka spoke, Umi hid herself, focusing on the scene in front of her. "I-is this what I think it is?"

"Yes senpai! This letter details my admiration for you!"

"B-but are you sure this is for me? It's usually Umi-chan that gets these. Are you sure this isn't for her? I mean, I'm not as dependable as Umi-chan. I'm not as talented as her, I'm not a very reliable person either, and I'm selfish, always forcing other people to go along with what I want."

"No, this is definitely for you Honoka-senpai! You underestimate yourself too much senpai! Umi-senpai is amazing too of course, but it's your dazzling smile that has captured my heart! I...I noticed that you haven't been smiling as much lately. I don't know the reason for that, but I wanted to see that smile again! So...just please read that letter! It details all my thoughts and feelings!"

Realizing how much this first year student cared for her, someone she didn't even know, made Honoka smile that same dazzling smile that had so mesmerized this first year. In the face of this, the girl lost her composure, blushing.

"W-well then, just please read that letter Honoka-senpai!"

With that, she ran off. Umi, having heard the conversation, realized why it was that Honoka had been so down recently, and exactly what it was that she'd been feeling recently.

 _"Honoka must have heard me say those things about her. But that's not right. I didn't mean any of that! That first year girl was right. Honoka's smile truly is ...should always be smiling. But as selfish as it is, I want those smiles to myself."_

Finding her resolve, Umi walked straight up to Honoka.

"Honoka!"

Freezing in place, Honoka tried thinking up an excuse to get away.

"Umi-chan! Um...I have to go to class now so...yeah."

But before she could get away, Umi grabbed her by the arm. "Class doesn't start for a while Honoka. Now please, I want to talk to you. I...haven't gotten the chance to lately."

Turning around slowly, Honoka kept her eyes on the ground.

"I'm sorry Umi-chan. I know I've been avoiding you lately, and it just makes me seem even more immature but...I didn't know what else to do. I know that I'm a slacker, that I never listen to you, and that I'm always forcing you to go along with my stupid ideas. And I know...I know that you'd never return my feelings. But...hearing you actually say it...it hurt."

 _"Return her feelings...did I hear that right?"_

"I'm sorry Umi-chan, I'm just being selfish and immature again."

Managing to snap herself out of her shock, Umi brought Honoka in for a hug.

"Wha- Umi-chan!?"

"Honoka...I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of those things that I said. I just said them because I was so embarrased. Of course, it's true that you're a slacker who never listens to me, always dragging me along with your ideas. But I don't mind that one bit. You're always bringing me to new places. I don't regret any of it. As for me not feeling that way about you...that was a lie. You're the only one I could ever love Honoka."

Blushing, Honoka pulled back to look at Umi in the eyes.

"Do you really mean that Umi-chan!?"

Smiling, Umi nodded. "Yes, I do Honoka. I love you."

Hearing this, Honoka's face broke out into a huge grin. "I love you too Umi-chan!"

Actually hearing the words from Honoka like this was too much for Umi. Her face heated up, and she staggered backwards.

 _"H-Honoka's so cute!"_

"Well then Umi-chan, I'll be in your care!"

"Y-yeah...me too. I'll be in your care Honoka."

Honoka gave her that dazzling smile of hers again, and Umi couldn't help but to smile back.

 **Some time later...**

A letter.

Once again, this was the object that Umi had found being given to her.

"Please, accept my feelings senpai!"

Having become used to the scene, Umi simply accepts the letter, and the girl quickly walks away.

"Umi-chan!"

Turning to the direction of the voice, Umi comes face to face with her girlfriend.

"Honoka."

"Umi-chan...did you get another love letter?"

Honoka was pouting, leading to Umi giving a small chuckle.

 _"This Honoka is cute too."_

"Don't worry Honoka. You're the only person whose feelings I could reciprocate."

That seemed to placate Honoka for the time being.

"Well alright. Let's get going then! It's time for practice!"

"Of course. Just one second."

Taking out a pen, Umi started writing her response. Yes, Umi had decided she was going to start responding to the love letters she recieved. In a way that would make sure neither she nor Honoka were hounded by the affections of other students. Of course, something as shameless as taking this kind of advice from Eli was embarrassing, but if it was for Honoka, then she was willing to do it.

 _"I am happy to know you feel this way, but, I am sorry. There is already someone I love more than anyone else. That would be my most cherished childhood friend, my beloved Ho...no...ka."_

* * *

 **Word Count: 1559**

 **Hmm...I don't know, I don't really like the way it turned out. But in any case, there we go, a HonoUmi fic. Of course, I'm still more of a KotoHono guy because the anime really does make me ship them. But just like how the anime makes me want to ship KotoHono, the manga and School Idol Diary makes me want to ship HonoUmi.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to click on, and read through my story. Please leave a review, it's always nice to see what people think of my stories, and whether or not they appreciate it. And if not, then criticism is always welcome as long as it's constructive.**


End file.
